


May's Fanboy

by Aerilon452



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Confessions, Emotions, Exploration, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, May being authoritative, More Sex, PHIL BEING CUTE, Philinda All The Way, S3 A/U, Sex, Talking, Touching, thin plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-30 15:30:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15099665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerilon452/pseuds/Aerilon452
Summary: Phil and Melinda spend the night together after a very tough day.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this fic, I've changed a few elements of S3 around. Phil already had his flesh colored prosthetic hand. Andrew isn't Lash yet. Phil hasn't encountered Rosalind Price on the subway.

 

In all of Phil’s years as a SHIELD Agent, he’d never had a noose around his neck. Not literally, anyway. It was an experience he wasn’t eager to have ever again. He could still feel the rope cutting into his neck, his lungs burning with the need to breathe, and he could vaguely recount Melinda firing her gun. Then he dropped to the ground gasping desperately. Now, he was back in his bed at the Playground waiting for May to come round.

Two weeks. Two weeks since Phil and Melinda had decided to be together after what had felt like two very long months of non-stop missions. They hadn’t talked about it, they just agreed with as few words as possible. It was totally them. Being called a couple was too normal for them; they were spies. Boyfriend and Girlfriend was too high school, and they were too far removed from those days. Lovers. He wasn’t sure he liked that title either. The term he was most comfortable with was partner. She was his partner in every way, shape, and form. This time, they just shared a bed a lot more. And sex. Whenever that happened. Of course, the world would have to stop throwing crisis after crisis at them and actually give them some down time. 

To say that Melinda May had a stressful day would be a gross understatement. She had to watch as her partner, the man she loved was seconds away doing a gallows jig. They had gone to investigate a possible sighting of an Inhuman and found that the subject in question had telekinesis. Daisy and Mack had their hands full with another Inhuman, which left her and Phil to take on this mission. The Inhuman had used his ability and strung Coulson up, simultaneously levitating him and tightening a rope around his neck. Her heart stopped in that moment, as it always did whenever he was put in mortal danger. 

May walked down the hall of the secret base well aware that everyone was asleep. She knew Phil would be awake, and he would be waiting or her. After today, she needed to fall asleep in his arms, listening to the beat of his heart to make sure he was really alive. The world without Phil Coulson was not a world she wanted to be associated with. He brought her back to life after her stint in Administration. Melinda needed him more than she would ever tell him. She stopped outside his door but saw this it was already ajar. That man didn’t miss a trick. She smirked as she pushed the door open with the toe of her boot. “Hey…” She closed it and turned the lock. 

Phil propped himself up on his elbows, smiling at Melinda as she came into his room. “Hey,” he called back lightly. “I was wondering when you were going to get here.” She wasted no time in shutting the door, kicking off her boots, and peeling off her jeans.  He was already in black pajama pants and an old grey SHIELD shirt. Phil swallowed hard at the sight of her. Belatedly, he remembered that that hadn’t been such a good idea. His throat throbbed making him regret his most recent action.

Melinda moved aside the soft covers, slipping under the sheets, and curled into Phil’s side. “I was waiting for everyone else to be in bed,” she answered as his right arm came around her, his palm cupping the back of her head and his fingers tangling in her hair. She stretched her arm over his chest, her hand resting over his left collarbone. The bright red welt along his neck made her want to kiss the pain away. She learned that any impulse she had, he would eagerly indulge. Angling her head back, she pressed her lips to the abraded mark. His throat rumbled in protest, forcing her to pull back. “Did I hurt you?” 

“Yeah but do it again…” Phil answered wickedly. Melinda’s lips had been so soft against the ravaged flesh, the pain had been worth it. He took his hand from her hair, sliding it down her back until he felt the clasp of her bra through her shirt. Deftly, he unhooked it, and gave her a cheeky smile. Unfortunately for him, she was having none of it. “What?” 

Melinda sat up, shaking her head at him even as she pulled her bra through the left sleeve of her shirt. They both knew she was sleeping in his bed tonight, there was no need for her to still be in it. “You could’ve died… again…” but this time she would have watched. It would have killed her to see it.

“Not a chance,” Phil responded lightly.

“Oh really? Why’s that?” May was quite curious as to what his answer would be. 

“Because, I have the best partner imaginable watching back. The amazing Agent Melinda May. I know for a fact she’d kill anyone that tried to kill me.” Phil answered. “Just between you and me though, she’s my top hero.”

Melinda couldn’t even be mad at him right now. “I beat out Captain America?” she asked, her voice full of playful shock. 

“You look better on a motorcycle,” Phil said with a shrug, smiling at her. 

May chuckled lightly, shaking her head again. “You’re such a fanboy,” she sighed, settling down by his side again, her hand resting over his head.

“Yeah, but I’m your fanboy,” Phil replied, kissing her furrowed brow. She was frowning, and he knew it wasn’t going to be good for him. He flicked off the light and curled up with her. Except, his mind was too keyed up to sleep. Rather, his mind replayed the words they exchanged that afternoon:

_“Take the shot!”_

_“Are you crazy?”_

_“May, look at me. Look at me. Take the shot…”_

_“Deep breath!”_

Then her gun fired, and Phil was dangling in the air. Another shot, and he came crashing to the ground coughing and trying to catch his breath. He lifted his left hand, the prosthetic fingers not feeling the rope burn on his throat.  The lightest touch had his body tensing, ebbing waves of discomfort running through him. “I thought my goose was quite literally cooked today,” he said softly.

Melinda sighed. “You don’t get to die on me,” she shot back pointedly. That was her biggest fear, being present when his number was up for good. She hugged him tighter, pressing her face into his chest. His arms tightened on her in return until they were just clinging to each other in his bed.

“I’ll do everything in my power not to,” Phil replied.

“No, you’ll go above and beyond the call of duty,” May demanded. She knew what it was she was asking him to do. They were Agents of SHIELD, and that meant putting their lives on the line for others. Except, when it came to Phil; he’d already given his life for the cause.

“Melinda…?” Phil said her name questioningly. 

May sat up, and in the low light of his room, she told him, “Fury came to me in person to tell me that you were dead. After Bahrain, I felt hollowed out, empty.” She pressed her fingers into the center of her chest. Even now she still felt that hole. This was more than she had ever told Andrew, or the department shrinks. But she could tell Coulson this, “In my sad little cubicle, listening to Fury tell me what Loki had done, there was a part of me that wanted to die right there. Then, Fury told me he had a plan to bring you back… and I didn’t try to stop him. On the bus, I said you meant a lot to me, and that hasn’t changed. It will never change.” 

Phil knew Melinda well enough to know that if she was using more words than normal, she had kept her emotions bottled up for too long. They had never been one to have terms of endearment for each other, except back in their youth, and only on missions. Right now, he was going to change that. “Baby,” he called to her softly. Bringing his hands up to cup her face, he urged her to look at him, but she didn’t let him speak another word.

“I mean it Phil Coulson,” Melinda used his full name, tinged with anger, “you are not allowed to die on me.”  She couldn’t stress this enough.

“Orders received,” Phil nodded sharply. “You’re still in charge of me, you know. I never rescinded that order after my hypergraphia ended. So, technically, I have to do what you say.”

Melinda crawled out from under the covers and straddled his waist, her hand going to his face, urging his head back to look up into her eyes. Then, she dropped her left hand down, her thumb brushing against the rope burn. He tensed under her. “This was dangerous on your part. Don’t do it again.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Phil said in a harsh whisper. The discomfort surrounding the flesh of his neck and the feel of having May pressed right against his groin went to war inside him mind. 

Melinda felt him twitch between her thighs. After all the pants he wore were relatively thin. “Really, Phil?” She wasn’t opposed to him pressing against her. 

“It’s kinda hot, you being all authoritative. Getting hard for you is never a problem,” Phil replied earnestly and with a smirk. He’d always been attracted to her, and in their youth their undercover work spoke to that. Though, as it was right now, he preferred this as it was. They had switched so easily to sharing a bed. Sometimes it was astounding just how easy it was. All he knew was mere words alone couldn’t describe what he and May had with each other.

This Melinda knew; familiar territory. Feelings and her did not mix so well. Confessing all of that to Coulson had not been the plan, but there she was just spilling her guts. Tonight, she had reached a new level with Coulson, and perhaps it was time to try something new. She was going to try and go slow tonight. They both needed the intimacy after the days events.  Melinda tugged his t-shirt off for starters. Her fingers lightly touching his collar bones, feeling the softness of his skin. Then, she continued down, caressing the center of his chest, delighting in the way his chest hair tickled the tips of her fingers. Lightly, she traced the scars that he’d gotten from Loki. 

Phil started to breathe faster the longer she lingered on his scars. It took all he had not to push her hand away, to cover his chest, and hide. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. In and out. In and out. After a few minutes he realized he was timing his breathing with the way her finger traced his scars. His eyes flew open, linking with hers. In the next moment, his heart beat calms down. The shame he felt vanished. His scars didn’t faze her, not her. Not when they were both carried war wounds. 

Melinda stopped testing his limits. She could see he was close to stopping all of this, so she trailed her hand down, following the line of hair that disappeared into the band of his pajama pants. The moment she took him in her hand, his pupils dilated, and his mouth dropped open. His fingers dug into her hips making her moan. She wouldn’t be deterred.  May stroked him, reveling in the way he gasped and moaned. Teasingly, she swirled her thumb around the head of him. 

Phil’s head dropped back to touch the headboard.  He tried to move, to thrust himself into her hand, but she kept him where he was; at her mercy. Each stroke of her hand had his muscle tensing, his thighs jerking. Before the night was over, he knew he’d be inside her, both of them climaxing, but until that happened he was going to let her have this.  She needed to touch him, and he needed to be touched by her. Phil forced his body to hold out, to take the pleasure she was giving him and use it for later.

Melinda kept stroking him, adding a twist of her wrist every so often just to heighten his pleasure. “Come for me, Phil,” she purred, moving her hand faster. He shook his head, pursing his lips together. So, she redoubled her efforts. Beneath her, he tensed and for a second, she thought he might come, coating her hand with semen. Except, he relaxed a few moments later. This left her confused. “What gives?” she asked as she took her hand from him.

Phil licked his lips, calming his heart rate, calming his body’s natural urge to climax. “I’m not going to come until I’m buried deep inside you,” he answered with a wicked grin. It was the weekend, and even at SHEILD that meant time off every now and then. Like she had done to him, he pulled her t-shirt up and off her body to expose her perfect breasts. Mirroring her, he rested the tips of his fingers against her collar bones, feeling the smoothness of her skin. Gingerly, he trailed them down until his palms were cupping her. His right hand was the only one transmitting the full sensory experience to his brain. 

Melinda leaned back and braced her hands on his knees. She moaned as he brushed his thumbs over her already straining nipples. Short bursts of pleasure raced right through her, ending with a throbbing between her legs. More than anything, that’s where she wanted his attention. Her thighs quivered just imagining his mouth on her, his tongue working her clit until she saw stars behind her closed eyes.

Phil moved his hands from her breasts, sliding them down to her sides so he could pull her close. His lips press a kiss to the exact spot on her chest where she had kissed his scars many times.  Against the sensitive skin, he felt the telltale beat of her pounding heart.  He couldn’t resist turning his head, listening to the way he broke through her control. Giving him this, she cupped the back of his head and patiently waited until he continued. 

Melinda kissed the top of his head while her hands traveled down his back, her fingers coming to rest over the entry wound. The touch had him shuddering in her arms. If she had been there that day, she would have thrown Loki such an epic beating that he would have regretted coming to Earth. If she had been there, Coulson would never have died. Suddenly, he pulled back with his hands cupping her face. He always knew when her mind turned, when her emotions shifted. It was what made them so perfect for each other.

“Don’t go there,” Phil advised quietly.

“Trying,” Melinda replied. 

Phil knew exactly how to take her mind off of his brush with death, and his actual death. While she was distracted, he rolled her, and knelt between her knees. He nipped and kissed his way down the center of her body making her moan softly. Phil could feel the way her stomach muscles tensed with each little love bite. His lips touched the band of her royal purple satin underwear. Phil pressed a hard kiss there, and then sat up, pulling the scrap of cloth down her legs. With a flair, he tossed them over his shoulder. He had to take a moment to admire the sight of her naked in his bed, her legs open to him. Phil couldn’t help the grin that curved his lips. 

Melinda bit her bottom lip, her finger curling into the sheet under her. A moan escaped her the moment Phil kissed the top of her right knee. She watched as he switched to lavishing attention on the inside of her thigh. Her breathing hitched when he nipped her a little too hard, but the sensation only served to make her burn hotter for him. She felt him place a chaste kiss to her nether lips before he spread them, and his tongue touched her. He teased her at first, barely dipping inside of her before he moved up to torment her clitoris. If any man was an expert at making love with just his mouth, it was Phil. He had her moaning, her thighs clenching, and her heart racing. An exhalation from him made her shiver. She was so wet, ready for him to take her. 

Phil took a second to catch his breath, to fill his senses with the scent of his dangerous paramour. He plunged his tongue inside of her, making her climax. Greedily, he drank deep from her release, and he didn’t stop until she was limp. He didn’t let her regain her sense of composure. Phil covered Melinda with his body and claimed her lips, ravishing her, letting her taste her orgasm on his tongue.  Together, they moaned when her hands went to the edge of his pants, pushing them down his hips. “Eager, are we?” he taunted.

“Very,” May moaned, shoving the light weight fabric over the swell of his backside. It was late Saturday night, early Sunday morning. They could make love as many times as they could manage. She wanted to feel him thrusting in and out of her until they were both sated and exhausted. Melinda managed to get his pants down his thighs, leaving his erection resting against her, heavy and ready. 

Phil pulled back, getting off the bed, where he shed his pants under Melinda’s heated stare. For a moment, they held each other’s gaze. Blindly, his hand reached for the nightstand drawer where he had a few condoms, but he stopped when Melinda shook her head ‘No’. He didn’t have to ask if she was sure; he could see it in her eyes. Holding his hand out to her, Phil motioned for her to come to him. He watched her crawl towards him, enthralled with the fluid grace of her. She rose up to her knees, her hand resting on his chest and his arms sliding around her hips. Phil kissed her swiftly, plundering her mouth until she was gasping.

Melinda draped her arms over Phil’s shoulders, pulling him back down to the bed, back between her welcoming thighs. His head is pressed right at her entrance, and a subtle shift of her hips had him slipping inside her. Inch by inch she felt his shaft stretching her, branding her body with his. Then, he was all the way inside her. In this moment, time seemed to stand still, and all she could see was Phil Coulson. Melinda could feel all the love she had for him welling up inside her.

Phil pulled out of her, held himself at her entrance, before pushing back in torturously slow. He wanted to make love to her, not simply have sex. He wanted to his to meaningful her as it was for him. This wasn’t meant to be a ‘ _Wham! Bam! Thank you ma’am!’_ type of encounter. Phil was going to leave her boneless and hungering for more of him all at the same time. Another slow thrust had her knees digging in against his sides. He can barely make out her moaning his name through the rushing of his blood in his ears. The passion flowing between them is truly intoxicating. 

Melinda could hardly stand the slow pace Phil set, but the rhythm they found allowed her to feel every inch of his hard shaft pushing into her. They’re rocking together had the bed mattress making little noises here and there. She draped her right arm around the back of his neck and her left hand resting against his side, her short nails digging into his ribs as the pleasure raced through her. She relished the slow build up towards her second orgasm of the night.  Each thrust hit that sweet spot inside of her and he knew it.

Phil plunged inside her in long, deep thrusts. He could hardly contrate on anything other than her, on the way she clamped down on him, trying to hold him inside her. She was close, he could feel it. With his left hand planted on the bed for leverage, he placed his right on her hip, holding her down as he increased his speed. The way she moans is music to his hears. Surging inside her one more time, he triggered their mutual detonation of ecstasy.

Melinda clung to Phil with her arms and legs wrapped around him, letting him pin her to the bed. As she knew she would, she saw stars behind her eyes. Her body shuddered with release, every part of her quivering from the physical and emotional release they were having together She opened her eyes in time to see him looking down at her. There was so much love in his gaze that she actually felt her thundering heart skip a beat. While he was still inside her, he moved to his side, pulling her in as tight as she could. She wasn’t ready to let him slip out of her yet.

Phil held on to Melinda as her body shuddered. Idly he ran his fingers up and down her spine, soothing her until she was suddenly still against him. From her breathing he could tell that she had fallen into a sated sleep. He wouldn’t be far behind her at this rate. In all the missions they had been on, even the ones where intimacy was required, this moment was the best for him. Phil was going to savor the feel of Melinda naked against him until his eyes closed from exhaustion.

 

 

**PRE-DAWN:**

 

 

Melinda woke in exactly the position she had fallen asleep in. Phil, his grasp having loosened on her, was sound asleep and looking more at peace than she had seen him in months. Extricating herself carefully, she went into the bathroom to clean up a little bit. Her inner muscles ached, but in a good way. It brought a small smile to her face even as she wiped away evidence of their mutual climax. Then, she returned to the bed, cleaned him up a little, and covered him with a light blanket. She picked up his t-shirt and slipped it on as she went over to the window to stare out over the part of the city where the Playground was camouflaged. Phil’s room was the only one with a view. So, she rested her hip against the ledge and just watched the still slumbering city. 

Phil didn’t know what had woken him, the whisper of A/C across his chest or that his arms were empty. For a fraction of a second his heart broke, thinking Melinda had left his bed, that what they shared last night was all she wanted from him. Then, the rational part of him banished that thought. This was Melinda after all. They were together. She wouldn’t just leave. Rolling over to his back he caught sight of her over by the window, and she was wearing his t-shirt. “You look good in that…” he said, his words still heavy with sleep.

Melinda didn’t respond, she glanced at him over her shoulder before returning her attention to the sight outside the window. She listened to him get out of bed and come to her. A moan rumbled in her chest when his arms slipped around her and she felt him start to harden against her backside. “Morning,” she said slyly, leaning back against him. He growled seductively in her ear and she liked it. 

“What’re you looking at?” Phil asked, kissing the outside of her ear as he spoke. 

“Nothing,” Melinda answered. 

“Lot’s of it out there,” Phil replied with a soft chuckle.

Melinda didn’t respond, she didn’t have to. Rather, she reached behind her to take him in her hand and stroke him until he was hard. To his credit, he responded quickly to her touch and was ready in seconds. Phil turned her, so she was fully in front of the window, and not just to the side. He had her brace her hands on the ledge as his hands went to her thighs. His fingers dragged the hem of his shirt up and over her hips. Instantly, she was wet for him.

Phil slipped his right arm under her, feeling the way her lower abdomen trembled against his skin. He was easy as he entered her, mindful of her potentially sore inner muscles. Once he was full inside her again, he held himself still, plastering his chest against her back. She clamped down tight on him. Then, he placed his hands over hers, just waiting. Together they shuddered. She pressed the side of her head against his cheek, moaning lightly. “Look at the glass, May,” he whispered harshly. Phil had no idea how long he would last.

Melinda did as he said. She looked up and caught his reflected gaze. In his eyes she saw all the pent-up years of passion and love they had between them. As he moved, her mouth fell open, and she let him see his emotions mirrored in her eyes. They gasped and moaned together, their gazes never faltering.  It’s not long before they’re both coming again, quietly voicing their release. She had to lean heavily on her hands, feeling her knees about to buckle. Even though this was quick, it was no less powerful. The euphoria had temporarily robbed her of her strength.

Phil kissed the side of her head, bringing his hands down to hold her hips as he pulled out of her. He was one tingling nerve. Every touch of Melinda’s skin had him shuddering, craving more of her, but as it was, they were in no condition to stand. He wanted to be back in bed with her. Somehow, he managed to get them both back to the edge of the mattress, but she turned the tables on him.

Melinda sat astride his waist, her arms draped over his shoulders, and her hands cupping the back of his neck. This time when she kissed him, she was telling him with her actions just how she felt about him. The words would come later. Right now, she just wanted to get lost in making love to his mouth, reveling in the way their tongues danced together. She delighted in the press of their lips, in the way he would gasp into her mouth.

If Phil Coulson had ever become addicted to anyone, it was Melinda May. The feasted from each other, drinking down each gasp, each moan they uttered. He would happily sit here forever and let her have her way with him. He wrapped his arms around her, leaning her back to change the angle of the kiss.

“Phil…” May said between heated kisses. He tasted better than any man should have a right to. Still, she had to get him to stop for a moment. “Phil,” she stressed his name, her hands resting on his face. 

“Tired?” Phil asked and licked his lips, Melinda was still on his tongue. 

“Don’t want to burn out,” Melinda answer, punctuating each word with a small kiss. Though, with the passion firing between them, she didn’t see them stopping anytime in the near future.

“Us? Never,” Phil said with certainty. To prove to her what he was saying was true, he placed his right hand against hers. “Feel that? We’re like a current connecting. We fuel each other’s hunger.”

Melinda studied their hands and she could feel what he was talking about. “I’ll never stop wanting you,” she whispered. “And what I want is to touch you… just touching.”

“I can handle that,” Phil replied as he stripped off the shirt she was wearing. Her body was certainly a feast for his eyes, her skin still flushed from their quick love making a moment ago. He rested his hands on her hips letting her have what she wanted. 

Melinda grasped his left wrist, bringing the cybernetic hand up to her lips. Gently she kissed the pad of his index finger. “Can you feel that?” she asked. The synthetic polymer felt like skin to her.

“No,” Phil answered lightly. “I know your lips are warm, but I can’t feel their softness. When I made you come over by the window, my hand read the shudders breaking out along your skin and transmitted those impulses up along my arm and into my brain, but I didn’t feel it.”

May turned his hand over and placed her lips against where his pulse should have been. This was one of the many sacrifices he’d made for SHIELD over the course of his active status. She kissed the metal on his forearm where the prosthetic is attached. The metal is cold against her lips. When she stops to glance at him, he has this awestruck look in his eyes. “What?”

Phil didn’t have the words to articulate exactly what it was that he was feeling for her at that moment. All he could do was rub his right thumb over the subtle rise of her hip bone. Then he said, “Touch me where I can feel it.” 

Melinda nodded, dragging her fingers up his arm, coming to rest on his shoulder. Lightly, she traced the muscle, following it all the way to the crook of his neck. Then she replaced her fingers with her lips. She nipped his clavicle, and then sucked on his skin. A hickie might be juvenile, but she wanted to leave her mark on his body.  Melinda didn’t lay claim to much in this world, except Phil Coulson. He belonged to her.

“Oh, I feel that,” Phil laughed. May let him go giving him a wicked look and he liked it. Following her lead, he placed a kiss to the top of her left breast, lingers for but a moment to feel the steady beat against his lips. Then he moved up, sinking his teeth into her skin where she had once had a wound that he patched up. A growl rumbled in his chest when he thought about it. Melinda moaned loudly. Phil unlocked his jaw, letting her flesh free of his teeth. “I hurt you?” he asked quickly.

“Uh-uh…” Melinda shook her head, licking her lips. She liked the bite. She liked the tender feeling prickling along her nerve endings. He was returning the favor, marking her as she’d done to him. They were about to kiss again when a light knocking sounded at his door. 

Phil groaned, touching his forehead to the center of Melinda’s chest. “Uh… not happening…”

Melinda smirked and then placed a few kisses to the top of his head. “You’re the Director, you’ve got a base to run.”

“No,” Phil argued silently. “It’s Sunday, I officially take the day off. All I want to do is ravish you.” 

Melinda gave him one of her no nonsense looks and he was the one rolling his eyes. “Go,” she ordered, flexing her new authority over him. 

“Then I want you to stay naked and under the covers,” Phil said and then kissed her before tumbling her to the mattress. She sighed and disappeared under the sheets. For his part, he picked up his t-shirt, shrugged it on, and pulled on his pajama pants. When he went to the door, he found Daisy on the other side. “Daisy, it’s early… on Sunday…” His brain was not in gear for this. 

“I know, but May is usually up by now. She’s not in the gym doing her Tai-Chi, so...” Daisy said looking at her boss. He seemed more rumpled than normal and his cheeks were tinged a certain rosy hue. She had to stop herself before she went too far with that thought. 

“Naturally you came here to try and find her,” Phil remarked. “Why would you think she’s here?” He was playing it cool, giving nothing away, least of all the fact that Melinda was naked in his bed. 

“Seriously?” Daisy asked, arching her brow. “Ok, well, for one, I saw her come this way last night, and for two, those are boots over there.” Daisy pointed over Coulson’s shoulder where she saw said boots, but little else in the room. She might have seen May’s jeans too, but she wasn’t going to look too closely. 

“If she is in here, do you want to risk waking her?” Coulson asked. It was clear now he couldn’t lie to her about Melinda really being in his room.

Daisy thought about it for a moment. Then she answered, “No, no I don’t.”

“Ok, good. Now, go away,” Phil replied lightly. He shut the door on his and May’s protégé. When he turned back to the bed to see Melinda shaking her head at him. “What?” he asked shrugging his shoulders.

“It’s only a matter of time before she tells someone,” Melinda said. She moved aside the blankets and patted the bed.

“I know,” Phil replied coming back to the bed. “Clothes… No clothes…?” 

“What do you think?” Melinda responded. In one fluid motion he stripped off his shirt. The sight of him still had the power to steal her breath away. Through all the years, the death, time had not diminished him. He was strong without it being in any overt way. She loved the feel of his arms around her, the feel of his strength holding her close. Melinda needed to have him wrapped around her again. 

Phil left his pants in a pool at his feet. He climbed back into bed, slipping under the sheets, stretching out with May curling into his side. Sweetly, he kissed the top of her as he ran his right and up and down her back in slow, light strokes. “Will it bother you?” he asked. 

“No,” May replied. Having their team know that she spent the night with him should, by all rights, bother her, but after everything…. This wouldn’t really register. Not when chaos vied for their attention. It was why being with him like this was so important. It gave them something to hold on to when everything else was falling apart.

“Are you going to go and do your Tai-Chi?” Phil asked, slightly hoping that, for once, she was going to take the easier path and be lazy. Idly, she ran the tip of her index finger back and forth under his navel.  Under the grey cotton, he felt his lower half responding to her touch.

“No point, I’m comfortable right here,” Melinda responded with a sigh. She shifted from his side, choosing to lie on top of him, her hands draped over his chest and her chin resting on her forearms.  Under the press of her belly, she felt him responding to her again. Guess it was true what he said. He never had a problem with wanting her. 

“I’m comfortable right where you are too,” Phil said with a smirk. Lovingly, he stroked the back of her head, his fingers running through her hair, the strands tickling his skin. He watched her fight off sleep, but in the end, he got to see the exact moment she dropped off. A moment later he was breathing in time with her and before he knew it his eyes were growing heavy.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2

**MORNING:**

 

 

Melinda woke to the most soothing sound she had even heard; Phil’s heart beating. She stayed against him just listening to the sound under her ear. This was the most content she had felt in a long while. It was the laziest she’d been in a long while too. The sun was up, she could hear the movements of various Agents going about the daily duties on the base, but none of it forced her to leave the bed. She was going to wait for him to wake up. 

For the second time this morning Phil felt his eyes opening, but unlike last time, there was comfortable weight on his chest that belonged to Melinda. He could tell from the way she was breathing that she was already awake.  “What’re you doing?” he asked angling his head to look at her. She had this small smile on her face and her eyes were closed. This was the most he’d seen her smile in a long while. 

“Listening to your heart,” Melinda answered. This was the first time she had actually had the chance to listen to it beat. After Fury had told her of his death, that was the sound she wanted to hear more than anything. He made no reply, rather choosing to hold her with one arm across her shoulders, and his left hand cupping the back of her head. Phil would let her indulge any whim she had when it came to him. 

Phil wanted nothing more than to stay in bed with Melinda, but he started to feel the first pangs of hunger stab at his stomach. Before too long, he knew the growling would begin. “I hate to do this to you, but…” 

“We need to shower and get breakfast,” Melinda finished for him. Her stomach was letting her know that her body needed fuel before they played any more today. 

“Yeah,” Phil nodded sheepishly. It was a shame to waste such a comfortable bed by leaving it. 

“I know,” May said. She moved away from him, getting up, and going into the adjacent bathroom. Moments later, she started the shower to let the water warm up. May stuck her hand under the spay to test the temperature. The water would need a few more minutes before it was at her desired temp. “You coming?” she called out to him. 

 _“Not without you!”_  

Melinda rolled her eyes and returned to the open door. She saw him scrolling through his phone, no doubt scanning news reports or looking over e-mail subject lines. “Hey.” He looked up at her, his phone immediately forgotten. “You get in here. Now.” Melinda crooked her finger at him. 

Phil laughed. He had hoped she would invite him to share the shower with her. Closing the door behind him, he kept the building steam inside the room and joked, “This is moving really fast. I like it.” Melinda only made one of her telltale faces at him as she nudged him back under the hot water. He grunted automatically, the temperature a little high for his liking. 

Melinda smirked, stepping in after him. The showers were cozy enough to accommodate two. Her body was pressed against his, the water raining down on them as they kissed. She moaned at the taste of Phil and hot water. Breathlessly, she took a step back knowing they had so much time to make up for, and that they couldn’t do it in a single morning. “I’ve wanted to do this for a while,” Melinda said over the pulsing of the water. She grabbed the bar of soap, setting it to his chest, and began to work up a lather.

“Always wanted me wet, huh?” Phil asked, aware of just how that question sounded. He watched Melinda return the bar of soap to the small alcove with one hand while the other continued to wash his skin. Her short nails scraped over his nipples and his head fell back to let the hot water pelt his face. He let his body feel her hands trail down until she was nearly fondling him. The blood started to rush faster through his body, going right to his shaft. “My turn,” Phil moaned, taking her hands and pressing her against the wall. 

Melinda was starting to wonder if this had been a good idea. Phil worked the bar of soap between his hands, and then tended to her like she had done to him. He started with her shoulders, then down to her breasts, lingering to tease her a bit as he worked up a good lather. She placed her hands against his face, her thumbs rubbing back and forth while he moved down her body. Soon his attention was concentrated on her abdomen with her muscles tensing in a good way. 

Phil trailed his right hand down between Melinda’s thighs making her breathing hitch. “This is fun,” he said, placing his forehead to hers. Melinda pressed her lips to his, moving him back so the water was pouring over them both washing away the soap. Common sense came back to them and they pulled apart. Between the heat of the water and the attraction burning between them, Phil was already breathing hard and he felt his face flush. 

They made it out of the shower without too much pawing and kissing. Though, admittedly, Melinda wouldn’t have been opposed to having him again. Once the hunger was unleashed, it was constantly clawing at her, demanding to be sated. She saw the same starving look in Phil’s eyes. Back when they had been younger, fresh out of the academy, she knew they had chemistry, but duty kept a tight leash on them both, keeping them from going too far, too fast. Now, they were at the top, and most of the restrictions were lifted. 

Phil handed her a towel before taking one for himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her wrap it snuggly around herself and then take another to dry her hair. He dried his head, rubbing the water out of his short hair, then patted his face dry before securing the white fluffy towel around his waist. Then, he stepped up to the sink to see if he could go another day without shaving. The stubble wasn’t that noticeable. While they had a slight cooling off period between them, Phil found himself asking, “What did Andrew say when you told him you weren’t going away with him?” He’d been trying not to ask for two months. 

Melinda sighed. With Phil talking came easier than it did with others because he didn’t automatically expect it from her. “That’s the thing, I was set to go. Had my bags packed and everything. But I saw you standing with Andrew and you had this look in your eyes that told me I was walking away from something important.” She had seen something, but she hadn’t been quite sure what it was. When she looked over at Andrew, she was less certain she was supposed to be moving backwards. Even though she lost so much, she now had a chance to gain much more. 

“May, I…” Phil was truly at a loss for words. Seeing her that day, he thought he had his face schooled into a neutral mask. Apparently, he hadn’t been as convincing as he thought. That day, seeing her with her bag in her hand, his heart stopped beating for the longest second of his life.

“I loved Andrew, I did, and you know that, but that love died the moment I pulled the trigger in Bahrain. That part of me faded away in the back of the ambulance listening to you tell me it was going to be alright,” Melinda confessed silently. It felt good to tell him this, like a weight was lifting on off her chest.  “The only part of me to survive was the part that…” She stopped to take in a shuddering breath.

“You don’t have to… if you don’t want…” More than anything Phil wanted to hear what she had to say considering she spoke so rarely. He relished the moments when they had their heart to heart talks. 

“Going away with Andrew wouldn’t have fixed things between us, not when the only love I feel is for you,” Melinda said and suddenly she felt lighter than air. She had kept this locked up deep inside her for too long. 

Phil was frozen in place from Melinda’s words. She loved him. She finally said she loved him. He barely felt his right hand reaching out to her, his fingers curling into the edge of the towel to tug her close. Phil hadn’t known how badly he wanted to hear those words from her until she had actually said them. “The only part of me to survive death was the part that has always loved you.” Since they were confessing to each other, it was time he said the words he thought he had buried long ago.

Melinda gave him one of her small, barely there smiles. Decades of being partners, and after one night of being in his bed, making love to him, she didn’t feel that coldness in her soul. There was fire breathing through her again, warming her. This was the first time she could take a deep breath without feeling crushed. “Ok,” she chuckled lightly, “too many feelings in here…”

“Yeah,” Phil agreed, “way too many.” He still smiled at her though, because he was just so damned happy.  Idly his hands slipped over her hips, holding her towel clad body as close to his as he could get her.

“Phil…” Melinda drew out his name. 

“What?” Phil asked. 

“Breakfast,” Melinda said. Though, her hunger for food was secondary to the rising hunger she had to have Phil deep inside her again. This was the desire they had felt in their youth, but iron will had helped them keep it in check. Now, they were older, they were wiser, but that craving had only gotten stronger.

“Right,” Phil mumbled. His eyes were fixed on the top of the bite mark he’d given her while his body hummed with the libido of a teenager. “I didn’t know how badly I would want you until after I had you a couple of times,” he admitted sheepishly.

Melinda liked the sound of that. “Yeah? And how badly do you want me?”

“Like I want to take you to my bed and never let you leave,” Phil answered. 

“Sounds good,” Melinda agreed. “Except, you have a base to run, and we have lives to save.” They were Agents first and foremost, and that wouldn’t change just because they were now being intimate with each other. 

“I know,” Phil replied, cupping her face gently. “We can do this right?” he asked, suddenly needing reassurance. They were adults, they could control themselves. Well, they would have no choice when the next crisis arose, and it was all hands on deck. There would be too much chaos to worry about other things.

“We want it badly enough,” Melinda replied.

“That we do,” Phil agreed with her wholeheartedly. 

Melinda covered his mouth with her hand before his lips could steal a kiss from her. “Food,” she said in response to his questioning gaze. “And then after, maybe we’ll come back here, and you can take all my clothes off.”

“That’s a pretty good incentive.” Phil backed away and Melinda nodded. He went to the dresser, pulled out clean clothes for the day, and tested his level of control to see if he could keep his hands off of her while she dressed. He had just zipped his pants when he felt her hand touch the center of his back, right over the scar on his spine. “Hey,” he said softly, “this is only the beginning.”

Melinda kissed the scar, agreeing with him. The wide-eyed agents they had started out as had died a long time ago.  “The beginning,” she whispered against his skin. Then she put some distance between them as she tugged on her shirt and then went to retrieve her boots. She took a moment to watch him while he slipped on one of his black dress shirts. He buttoned it as if he’d never lost his hand and had to re-learn a simple task. Phil was amazing at adapting quickly.

Phil caught Melinda staring at him, blatant hunger in her eyes. _‘Damn… she’s sexy!’_ he thought automatically. “What?”

“Nothing,” Melinda replied, pulling on her boots.  She got, but he immediately caught her by the arm, hauling her against him for a heated kiss. So, she indulged. She ran her left hand down his side, sliding it back to caress his jean clad backside. Phil moaned into her mouth.

 

 

**KITCHEN:**

 

 

Daisy sat with Mack as she poked around on her computer trying to track Inhuman sightings via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and various other social media platforms. She was building an algorithm that would compile all the data and extrapolate where and when the sightings took place.  Her partner was on his phone, texting with his brother to make arrangements for a little R&R. She knew Mack missed his brother, even though he tried to hide it. 

Daisy stopped tying to pick up her cereal bowl to finish off the last few bites of her soggy Chex Mix. The moment she looked up she saw Coulson and May coming into the room. To the casual eye, nothing between them seemed out of place. They stood close, as always. May’s expression was blank, and Coulson’s was chipper with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Except, to Daisy, she knew better even if she hadn’t already seen May’s boots on the floor of Coulson’s room. They had this ease between them. “Morning, you two,” she greeted warmly and with a smile. 

“Good morning Sk… Daisy… I mean Daisy,” Phil said, trying to recover from his flub. And his morning was going so well.

Daisy giggled behind her hand. If anyone could still call her by her former name, it would be Coulson. “Why is my name change so hard for you to grasp?” she asked, poking fun at him.

“I don’t know… I’m old,” Phil said with a shrug. Beside him Melinda scoffed. He looked at her, narrowing his gaze slightly. 

“Yeah, I don’t buy it,” Daisy responded and then turned back to her computer. 

Phil pressed on, moving towards the kitchen. While he opened the fridge, behind him, May perched on one of the bar stools to watch him. “What are you in the mood for? Toast? Tea?” he asked, glancing at her over his shoulder. “Or, should I go the whole nine yards?”

May tilted her head to the side and replied quietly, “I’m starving.”

“Nine yards it is,” Phil said. He pulled out eggs, milk, cheese, bacon, ham, and sausage to make a meat lovers omelet. First, he cooked the bacon and sausage with his stomach growling at the smell. After that was cooked, he set the skillet aside, and turned to cooking the ham. That could sit on the stove without too much supervision. He grabbed a few sheets of paper towels and covered a plate before taking the bacon and sausage out of the pan and onto the plate, so the grease could soak into the towel. Then he turned back to the ham and flipped it over letting the other side cook. Next, he pulled out a cutting board and prepared slicing the sausage. 

May watched every move he made from the precision in which he used a knife, to watching the muscles of his back flex as he flipped the ham over and then moved the skillet to cool on an unused burner. Her mouth watered as he chopped up the bacon. He looked at her, telling her to be patient with only his eyes.

Phil took the ham steak out of the frying pan and started to chop it up. He had just moved a pile of cubes aside when May snagged a small piece. “May,” he said her name with amusement. 

“I’m hungry and this taking too long,” Melinda replied, popping the ham cube into her mouth. 

“You wanted me to cook,” Phil reminded. 

Melinda just flicked her gaze back to the food, telling him to continue. He narrowed his gaze at her playfully as he did as she silently ordered. Then it struck her. It was going to be like this from now on. Getting messy had worried her, but if she was really honest with herself, she and Coulson were messy long before they had given his bed a thorough work out last night.

 

 

********

 

 

Hunter was taking a leisurely stroll through the halls of the base, but the delicious smell of bacon pulled him into the rec room/kitchen. He walked through the open when he saw Coulson and May staring at each other. At first, he thought things were normal between them. It wasn’t uncommon for the two senior SHIELD members to silently communicate with each other. He had known them to hold an entire conversation without even speaking. Frankly, it was annoying at times and somewhat interesting to witness. But a second glance piqued Hunter’s attention. Their body language was different. He ambled over to Daisy and Mack, taking a seat between the two. “What’s going on there?” 

Daisy glanced over her shoulder, and then looked at Hunter, “Coulson’s making food. There’s nothing weird about that.” When living with spies full time, being a capable and convincing liar was a survival trait. She could guess as to what Hunter was really referring to, though. 

“Yeah, but what about them?” Hunter asked quietly. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but Agent May terrified him, like she did to everyone. “If my vast wealth of knowledge is of any use, I’d say those two slept together.” 

Mack dropped his phone to glare at Hunter. “Oh, come on man,” he hissed. But he couldn’t help but glance over at the two of them. 

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Hunter countered. 

“You’re always wrong,” Bobbi chimed in, taking a seat next to her ex-husband. “What are we talking about?”

“Hunter’s an idiot,” Daisy said, typing away on her computer. 

“That’s already common knowledge,” Bobbi said laughingly as she bumped her shoulder into his. 

“I’m right bloody here,” Hunter whined. 

“We know,” Mack said, rolling his eyes.

Those sitting around the table, minus Hunter, started to laugh. It wasn’t a day as SHIELD if its Agents weren’t making fun of someone. Today, it just happened to be Hunter.

 

 

**********

 

 

Phil slid the fully cooked omelet onto the cutting board. He sliced a wedge, then slid it on a plate before handing it to may. “And voila, the whole nine yards,” he said. While the others were within earshot, he made sure his voice was normal and his features giving away nothing of what he was really feeling. More than anything he wanted to smile at her with all the love in his heart, but he knew better. He knew May wouldn’t want him to look at her that way when the others were around. 

Melinda took a bite of her breakfast and had to fight back the urge to moan. Phil had cooked for her in the past, but this seemed to taste different, better than anything else he’d ever fixed for her. She downed a few more bites before she noticed that he was just staring at her. “What?” she asked. 

“Nothing,” Phil replied and then fixed himself a plate. He came around the island, to sit on the stool next to hers.  It was nice to be in the kitchen, making breakfast, rather than constantly ordering take-out food.  Right now, they’re eating in a comfortable silence while they wait for the tension to build up between them again. He knew, for today at least, there was going to be a small window of relative ease between them before they were back in his bed. 

Melinda finished her food and sighed in contentment. She had been so famished that she had barely thought about a drink. Her body needed fuel, but now it also needed hydration. Getting up, she went to the fridge and pulled out a carafe of orange juice. She poured herself a glass, then one for Phil. He swallowed what was in his mouth as he accepted the glass from her. Together, they both took a drink. 

Phil set his glass down after draining the juice from it and finished his food. All the while he held Melinda’s gaze. He finished his food and then picked up his plate to wash it off in the sink. The need for food sated just in time as he felt the rising of another hunger. To delay, he set about the simple task of washing the dishes. While the water reached a warm enough temperature, he handed Melinda a dish towel, “You dry.” 

Melinda snatched the cloth out of his hand but said nothing. She was letting her body settle and her meal digest before she even thought about Phil taking all of her clothes off again. Today, she was going to let herself indulge in him. It was long overdue and would have to tide them over for a while. Before too long they would be embroiled in another crisis, whether from the ATCU, Hydra, or saving Inhumans.  Today was going to be as normal as it could be and that meant spending a short amount of time drying dishes. 

Phil had to remind himself to take it slow. His bed wasn’t going to vanish, and neither was Melinda. They had all day to do whatever it was they wanted. Without looking at her, he handed over one of the freshly scrubbed skillets. How had he gotten through most of the dishes without even realizing it? Then he glanced at May, and he knew the answer. His mind was distracted thinking about having her again. 

May set the clean skillet back on the stove and then took the second one Phil handed her. Efficiently, she dried it, and set it down. They made short work of the two plates, and the silverware. Then, like that, they were finished. It hadn’t seemed like twenty minutes, but when she glanced at the clock, that was how much time they wasted cleaning up. To wile away a little more, she poured herself a second glass of orange juice, and did the same for Phil before putting the carafe away.

Rather than let the food just sit there, Phil grabbed a few plates and the cutting board, and then went over to the table where the others were sitting. “If anyone happens to be hungry, dig in.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Bobbi said as she helped herself. Then to stall Hunter, she shoved a plate into his hands. For once, he took her lead and he was going to keep his mouth shut. 

“Looks good, thanks boss,” Daisy added. She nodded for a plate. The pitiful bowl of cereal she had suddenly hadn’t been quite so filling. 

Melinda held out his glass when he came back over to her. “It was a delicious omelet,” she muttered. 

“Thanks,” Phil accepted the praise. It was a breakfast his mom would make for his dad, especially when she knew he was going to have a tough day of work ahead of him. Whenever he made it, he felt a little of his childhood come back to him, and for a moment he could almost see his father savoring each bite. Next to him, Melinda up ended her glass to finish the last swallow of OJ. She then set the glass in the sink and left the room. It was long before he was doing the same.

 

 

*********

 

 

Melinda had moved fast once she was out of sight of everyone. She stood waiting by Phil’s door. Outwardly, she is a pillar of calm as everyone has come to know from her. Inside, she’s quivering with need. Already, her body had become attuned to his to such a degree that she felt him coming down the hall towards her. Then, there he was, rounding a corner, and she saw the predatory look in his eyes. A shiver worked its way up her spine.

Phil was standing in front of her, their body’s so close that they were sharing the same breath. He reached around her to grasp the knob and turn it, so he could push the door open. Her hand rested on his chest, her fingers curling into the fabric as she pulled him inside with her. Using his let foot, he kicked the door closed. In the back of his mind, he realized that it slammed shut a little too loudly, but that paled in comparison to Melinda. He pulled off his boots and socks to start with. The next clothes he removed were going to be hers. 

Melinda yanked his shirt free of the waistband of his jeans before attacking the buttons. She wanted him out of it as fast as she could manage. Her fingers were about to tackle his belt when he stopped her. Just as she was about to voice her displeasure, his lips claimed hers while he walked her back towards the bed. He ran his hands down her back and over the swell of her ass, squeezing. Seconds later, the edge of the mattress was touching the back of her legs.  She gasped when Phil nudged her, making her fall back against the rumpled covered. 

“I get my incentive,” Phil whispered darkly, his voice full of lust. He took her right ankle in his hand and tugged off her boot, tossing the shoe over his shoulder. It thumped to the ground somewhere by the door. Then, he pulled off her sock before letting her pull her leg back. She let him repeat his action on her left foot. This time when he tossed her shoe, she laughed lightly.

“I did say ‘maybe’, remember…” Melinda reminded him. Though, she was in no hurry to make him stop. His hands slipped up her legs, coming to rest on the button of her pants. With a sharp jerk, it popped free, and when he lowered the zipper, it hissed loudly. “Fine,” she relented, “but I get to be on top.”

Phil peeled her pants down her incredibly strong legs and dropped them to the floor. “Deal,” he said with utter conviction. Then he dropped his shoulders back, letting his shirt fall down his arms. Soon after that, her knees were resting against his hips.

 

 

********

 

 

Hunter lingered – and without an ounce of shame – by the stairs that led up to where the Director’s room was. He had heard a few telltale thumps that he knew all too well as shoes being dropped to the floor. That was, of course, after he heard the door slam.  If he had known to bet that the Director and Agent May were having sex, he would have made a few wagers by now.

Bobbi had gone in search of her trouble seeking ex-husband, only to find him loitering in the hall by the stairs. “Hunter!” she shouted quietly. 

“What?” Hunter shot back, just as quietly.

“What are you doing?” Bobbi crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for him to answer.

“I think May and Coulson are up there shagging,” Hunter answered.

“And that’s your business how?” Bobbi inquired. Yet, she found herself taking a step closer to him, and closer to the steps as well. She wasn’t blind, she saw that there was a change in May and Coulson, even though they acted as the always had. If anything, they were quieter than before. She didn’t think that was possible, honestly. 

“This from the woman who led a coup just last year over too many secrets,” Hunter snorted in derision. 

“Do you really want to confront May and Coulson with this?” Bobbi asked side stepping his comment. She wasn’t going to take the bait. 

Hunter opened his mouth, he first instinct was to deliver one of his trademark sarcastic, pig-ish comments, but then he actually weighed the thought of May kicking his ass up one side of this base and then down the other. “Yeah, on second thought, I better walk away.”

“Smart boy,” Bobbi praised. While they were alone, she took his hand and dragged him down the hall back towards the rec room.  She smiled to herself, though. After all this time, she was happy May and Coulson were finally getting their act together.

 

 

********

 

 

Phil had his arms wrapped around Melinda as his chest heaved with the effort to breathe after their latest bout of love making. This time, it was she that had set the tone, and it had been a sensual battle. She had her legs wrapped around him and her arms draped over his shoulders, holding him close. Mere moments ago, Melinda had ridden him hard and fast until they were both spent and breathless, clutching at each other until the shuddering subsided. He had enough strength, and presence of mind to lean back a little to look up at her. She had a look of pure satisfaction on her face. He never imagined he could love someone as much as he loved her. His heart hadn’t beaten as hard has it was when he was around Melinda. Especially after coming back to life. 

Melinda opened her eyes as far as she could. For the hundredth time this morning, Phil was grinning at her, and she felt herself returning that grin. She kissed him lightly, knowing that no matter what, she would never tire of feeling his lips against hers, or wherever else he chose to put them on her body. She could stay in Phil’s arms all day today and be perfectly happy not to be do anything else. It was an odd feeling and it flew in the face of all her years of training and devotion to SHIELD. This was what she thought she could find with Andrew, but she was meant to find it with Phil instead. They were both lifers, service was in their bones, but together they could be more.

“You’re thinking about something,” Phil said before he kissed the underside of her chin. He idly explored her, letting his lips rest over the beat of her pulse.  His deepest wish had come true. He was in love with Melinda and he knew she reciprocated those feelings. 

“Yeah,” Melinda whispered, “you.” He looked at her again, a happy light shining brighter in his eyes. She couldn’t help but feel pride that she was the reason he was so damned happy. He was the only who had breathed new life into her. 

“I like the sound of that,” Phil replied as silently as she had. Again, his lips took hers, because he couldn’t not kiss her. Today was for them and because he could sense she was alright with being lazy for just this one day, he stretched out on the bed to lay close to her. Lightly, he touched the center of her chest, recalling her words from the other night. “Still feel empty?” 

“Not as much,” Melinda answered honestly. She knew she could never go back to who she used to be, but with Phil, she might be someone new. They could both finally put the past to rest.

 

 

 

**THE END**


End file.
